Liquid crystal display apparatuses which have liquid crystal display elements as their display sections are characterized by slimness, light weights, and low power consumption. Such liquid crystal display apparatuses are widely used in various fields.
Viewing angle characteristic is one of issues of the liquid crystal display elements. The reason why a display characteristic of a liquid crystal display element varies depending on a viewing angle is that since liquid crystal molecules have a rod-like shape, birefringence differs between a frontal view of the liquid crystal display element and an oblique view of the liquid crystal display element, and this causes a change in voltage-transmittance (VT) characteristic (hereinafter, also simply referred to as VT).
In view of this, there recently proposed various techniques for improving a viewing angle characteristic. Such techniques make it possible to partially change a VT characteristic in a driven pixel so as to allow the driven pixel to have two or more different VT characteristics (VT multiplication). This averages a mismatch in VT between a frontal view and an oblique view. The techniques thus improve a viewing angle characteristic. The following are representative techniques.
(Patent Literature 1)
Patent Literature 1 below discloses a technique by which VT multiplication is carried out in such a manner that an L/S (Line/Space width) of a drive electrode in a pixel is changed in a liquid crystal mode in which a transverse electric field is used as is the case with IPS (In-Plane Switching).
(Patent Literature 2)
Further, Patent Literate 2 discloses a technique by which VT multiplication is carried out in such a manner that a cell thickness is changed in a pixel.
(Patent Literature 3)
Further, Patent Literature 3 discloses a technique by which a viewing angle characteristic is improved in such a manner that an insulating layer which is used for changing a direction of an electric field in a pixel region is provided in a liquid crystal display apparatus which controls an electric field by use of upper and lower electrodes.